For Maple Leaf head scout Dave Morrison, however, there’s a professional poignancy to that concept given the status he shares with the rest of the club’s management, coaching and scouting staff. Morrison’s job, come June, will be to correctly identify the teenage prospect most likely to brighten the team’s future in the NHL entry draft, all the while knowing a new boss will arrive in the next few months and possibly clean house.

“To say we as scouts haven’t talked about that would be a lie,” said Morrison. “But we can’t control that, and we’ve got a chance to do something special in this draft.”

Given those circumstances, you might think Morrison would be hoping for the Leafs to sink as low as possible in the standings by season’s end to maximize their chances to select one of the high-profile prospects.

While the Senators’ winning percentage with McCreary as one of the two referees (eight out of potential 14 points; .571) is just a little lower than their winning percentage overall (87 out of a potential 146 points; .596), the ammunition for McCreary conspiracy theorists is Senators opponents have been given almost twice as many power plays in those seven games as the Senators.

According to the NHL game sheets, the Senators have had 23 power-play opportunities in games in which McCreary has worked; their opponents have had 42. That’s an average of 3.29 power plays vs. six short-handed situations in those seven games.

Sunday night it started, and by Tuesday morning it was time to re-load Windows XP onto my computer. I am not sure what happened besides the power hit I took, but I am happy to report I am working my way back into game shape.

I am about 80% right now, but the playoffs are close and we need as many points as possible. I have a few other things to take care of and should be back to posting by 9:00am today.

The Penguins have to at least consider and discuss trading Evgeni Malkin this summer if he is looking for an Alexander Ovechkin-type contract ($9-10 million per season. Term doesn’t matter. You always will be able to trade a great player if he is healthy), and the team concludes that paying a combined $17 million for two players on their roster will greatly affect their Stanley Cup plans.

NHL teams will have to look at things as NFL teams do. You won’t be able to fall in love with players, and you can’t talk about being a contender for 10 seasons. You have to look through smaller windows. Otherwise, you could have a very good season, then be mediocre for the next five. You have to keep looking forward, keep building.

The day I see a direct quote, and I mean a statement with the little quotation marks around it, from Mike Babcock saying Chris Chelios isn’t assured a spot on the third D pairing? That’s the day I stop believing stuff like this is the mark of a frigging idiot.

Babcock also said that with three or four games remaining, he will settle on his third defensive pairing – a two-man job open to Chris Chelios, Andreas Lilja and Brett Lebda.

Helene St. James, every few weeks, gives us a hint of that garbage. Prove it Helene. Give us a quote from Babcock saying that. Until then? You just continue to look stupid.

The organization has decided to send goaltender Rick DiPietro for an MRI examination Tuesday of the hip injury he suffered in the All-Star Game skills competition on Jan. 26.

Islanders coach Ted Nolan acknowledged DiPietro’s absence from the lineup at the morning skate Tuesday and said results of the MRI will be evaluated Wednesday.

“He’s been having it for a while,” Nolan said of DiPietro’s hip injury. “It’s the same as our team. We have nine guys out of the lineup, and we have two guys that probably shouldn’t be playing (Tuesday night). It’s one of those things where the injury bug hit us, and unfortunately, it hit Ricky.”

Sources tell TSN the New York Islander goaltender has a right hip problem that is going to require surgery. The decision was made after DiPietro underwent an MRI today. It’s expected the surgery could be performed as early as Wednesday.

For the second time in two seasons, Islanders franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro will have season-ending hip surgery. The operation will take place Wednesday at Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., an NHL source said, and DiPietro is expected to recover in time for training camp in September.

Hair Cuttery, the largest privately-owned chain of hair salons in the country, announced today that it has signed NHL Washington Capitals’ hockey star Alex Ovechkin to a 6-month partnership agreement commencing in October.

Ovechkin proves that even if you’re a multimillionaire, you can still appreciate a good haircut at a great price. After signing a 13 year, $124M contract - the richest in NHL history - the 22-year-old Washington Capitals’ left wing is still a regular client at the Ballston Common Hair Cuttery in Arlington, Virginia.

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